Objective: Encourage, support, and motivate independent reading by
appealing to different learning styles and offering students multiple
choices when responding to books. Some choices will be completed while
students are reading the book, some after.

NOTE: All class presentations must be 8 to 10 minutes in length even if
not so noted. Mrs. Durff has the final say on all grades!

C Level
*Required: Read a book at your independent reading level as arranged
through Mrs. Durff. Everyone will have a different book. Display
evidence of completion to Mrs. Durff through your student agenda or
reading homework book signed by parent/guardian, 4 x weekly for 20
minutes per session, AND by reading in class whenever
assigned. Extra credit may be given for reading Wednesday
evening or for more than one weekend day.

During and after reading, choose any 7 of the following choices for a
total of 70 points:
1. Choose a book report & complete it
using your book as your source. Confer with Mrs. Durff. (20 points)
2. Draw or illustrate two or more story
elements. (20
points)
3. Do a "Book Bag" report using props and
explaining their significance to the whole class. (20 points)
4. Role-play - be a main character from
the book—tell about your life and experiences first-person. Do for the
whole class. Let listeners question you. (10 points)
5. Create an 8.5” X11” poster that would
advertise or "sell" your book. (20 points)
6. Using pictures from magazines, etc.,
design a collage that represents your book in some aspect. Use at least
50 pictures. Present your poster to th! e class. (20 points)
7. Write two page, every-line letters to
your friends about the book, sharing your thoughts. Read one to the
class. Send one to your pen pal. (10 points)
8. Write an appropriate rap about the
book. Absolutely no hurting, killing, or other inappropriate topics –
if you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother, don’t say it in
school! Present it to the class. (20 points)
9. Write song lyrics and/or music - create a song about the book.
Perform the music for the class. (20 points)
10. Write a 20-line poem about the book. Read it to the class. (20
points)
11. Use your Reading Journal to respond to your book daily, showing the
"tracks of your thinking" -- e.g. questioning, visualizing, connecting,
predicting, inferring, summarizing the essence of tex! t, etc. Read two
2 page long entries to the class. (40 points)

B and A Levels (do 40 points
AFTER doing 70 points at C level)
1. Help write and act out a scene from the book either as a group or as
an individual. Perform 10 minutes worth for the class. You will be
timed. (30 points)
2. Assume the r! ole of interviewer. Come up with five questions to ask
the author. Write these down in your Reading notebook and read them to
the class. (10 points)
3. Put together a TV show for three people, one person being the
interviewer, other people taking roles from the book, or being
questioned about the book. You write the questions and decide on the
parts each will play, then gather your group, rehearse, and present the
show to the class in ten minutes. You will be timed. (40 points)
5. Genre study: Write up and conduct a survey of peers about favorite,
least favorite genres, finding out why people feel the way ! they do.
Organize and compile findings, present them both verbally and
graphically. Present your findings to the class. (40 points)
6. Do independent research about a topic suggested by your study of the
book. Mrs. Durff must approve your topic. Search at least five
different sources, writing down the source in APA format, and
summarizing your findings to the class, using a full ten minutes. (30
points)
7. Make flash cards of at least ten new words you encountered in the
book. Put the word on one side, the definition and the word used in
context on the other side. (5 points)
8. Create and illustrate a timeline of the book. Present it to the
class. (20 points)
9. Create a map of the setting. Tell what important events occurred at
each location. Present it to the class. (20 points)
11. Rewrite the ending of the book. Present it to the class. (20 points)
12. Ponder what you think is the main theme or overarching concept of
the book. Write it down. Then choose two of the
following: (40 points)
a. Write a 200 to 300-word essay about this theme.
b. Read another book that relates directly to that theme
c. Tell about the new book in a Thursday Share session.
13. Share your thoughts about the book with the entire class. Bring a
food item representative of the book to share with the class. Tell how
it would relate to the book and why you chose it. (30 points)
14. Create a new cover for the book, as if you were on assignment from
a major publishing house. Think about design and illustration elements,
color, and font…what will make this book even more appealing to
readers. Fold your paper so you have flaps just like a real book cover.
On the inside front cover, write a blurb - a summary of the book for
potential readers. On the inside back cover, write "All about the
illustrator"—that’s YOU. Tell readers a little about yourself, and
include a photo if possible. If not, draw yourself. On
outside back cover, write reviews of the book from various publications
as if you had interviewed them. (40 points)
16. Become an expert on one of the main topics or themes of the book.
This theme could be from the setting, prevailing culture, characters,
relationships, conflict, etc. Be sure you have teacher approval for
your topic before you begin. Write a 300-word essay in your Reading
notebook. (40 points)